coyabean
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Posts posted by coyabean
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BE COMFORTABLE!!!
On my interview the folks pulling at ties and shifting in heels and hose were pretty easy to spot. It will be a long day or two. Dress for the long haul. Depending on weather I'd dress for outside temps and inside temps; basically do layers. A button-up shirt with a shell and a jacket or cardigan? Throw a pashmina in your bag. Comfortable shoes cannot be stressed enough. I ended going on The Longest Campus Tour In History. Perhaps a stacked heel mary jane or loafer that works well with both skirts and pants? Look around your current department -- or most recent one -- and wear a half step better than them.
And while I may get into all kinds of trouble for saying this let me caution about the academic prejudice against overtly attractive. I've noticed it. I've discussed it with profs. I've heard it talked about in back hallways at conferences. Nothing flashy. It's ripe with contradictions and -isms but some folks, especially old school types, associate flashy with un-scholarly.
Other than that some things I found useful:
-- Again, long day. Pack aspirin and shout wipes.
-- If you do wear hose, put a back up pair in your day bag
-- band aids in case you do not heed my advice on the shoes; you can always use them for chafed heels
-- a nice scarf, pashmina or shawl can add some interest and its practical
-- no need to do skirts unless that's your thing
Above all else, choose comfort and go to everything you're invited to. There were folks at my interview who skipped the social stuff with grad students and such and I do not think it was a wise decision.
Be present, relax, enjoy it for what it is. If you're lucky you will never, ever, ever again be a courted applicant.
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Paperchaser is not far off.
Stay close to the University and downtown. But even downtown living will be far lower than what you are accustomed to. A renovated loft for $800 maybe? Cheaper closer to the Uni. It is a college town so it lives and dies by the semester schedule. Nightlife is difficult. There's cultural stuff but not any real party life. Honestly, the bulk of your life will probably be spent on campus as its the hub of the city. Yoga and beer within walking distance of campus. Public transportation is not ideal. I'd stay out of the surrounding 'burbs you'll see advertised -- High Point, Kernersville, Winston -- until you know the area better. It's a weird place in that a suspect neighborhood can be right next to a former plantation home. So until you know those ins and outs stay close to school.
And Raleigh and Charlotte are within driving distance. That's your best bet if a more urbane social experience is your thing.
There is a decent alt-hippie type of scene though. Farmers markets and the like can be found.
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here is a question for all you fellow applicants: after u get rejected, is it okay/appropriate to call the school you got rejected from to see why and what ways to improve your applications for next year??. I am tempted to call loyola to see what went wrong with my apps but don't know if they will tell me ??
Actually I have heard of many people, including in this post, who did just that and got a response. My rejj (I like it, too!) from USC included an invitation from him to contact him AFTER April 1st if I'd like to talk about my app. I won't be but that seemed like a good rule of thumb.
And I'm sorry but that Chronicle link, like a lot of them on the Chronicle, is full of the type of people in academia that chafe my nerves. I am sure there are a lot of annoying, ill-prepared, selfish people to deal with but this idea that a respectful request of their time is a sign of the end of all times is ridiculous. OMG, this person wants to actually TALK to me. Like some of them weren't applying themselves just five years ago. If you don't have time or inclination to respond to a request, don't. Fortunately there are people in academia who are willing to help and I think sending a message is the only way to find those people.
God, the arrogance on there is beyond beyond.
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You would think that for $50-$90 for an application fee, they could bother to send something a little more substantial. When I applied last year, 2 schools didn't even bother to send me any form of rejection.
That's how I feel. For the cost carve out $.44 for a postcard at the very least.
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The first one to admit me will automatically advance as my top choice
. gazelle--I have a couple of friends interested in International Relations and I have a little bit of knowledge about both institutions/cities. PM me if you want to know more.
pretty much. lol i'm all about Emory these days.
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Demography is destiny. In 5-7 years the Boomers will (or should be) retiring en masse. In addition to having a smaller cohort size coming out of school during a time of (hopefully) increased vacancies should improve job prospects. That's what I'm counting on, albeit not for looking for academic work
The only problem with that is boomers have, supposedly, been on the verge of retirement for 10 years! But between increasing demands of weakened investment portfolios, declining home values, adult children that need support for longer and those damn Dennis Hopper investment ads telling them that they can live and skydive forever, the boomer retirement wave seems to be always coming but never arriving.
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There's a USC ASE acceptance on the board?!!!
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I'll be 31...I love my 30s.
The baby and spouse issue will be officially closed, if I get into a PhD program, but that's no love lost.As I said before, I'll be 33. And I think, like you, this issue of a spouse and baby may be closed. I had a young marriage and a young divorce so I'm good on that front -- I got a dress and a tiara though I swear I paid dearly for it! LOL The baby thing I'm still debating with myself about but at some point nature takes care of that concern. I don't know. I don't feel overly sad about my choice. I could be broken but I'm ok with this route.
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So interesting to hear these first hand accounts. It helps frame my approach to selecting the right program.
I must say that while it may seem silly I absolutely ask schools about things like printing and data access. Like unclelurker said it seems small until you are down to your last $50 and you need to print a 60 page article and the school is now charging a nickel a page.
So I say that to say, there are no small financial questions this year. No assumptions allowed and everything in writing. Ask, ask again and then get somebody to put it on paper or in an email.
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First, you must be the hottest candidate EVER. Look at that list. Super impressive.
And I like Fuzzy's wording.
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When are folks planning to move? If we are going someplace where we will be living off campus, I wonder if it is a better idea to move in June or July, when housing selection might be better?
Loving that change to your sig, captiv8ed.
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We went the route of UNC last year - it wasn't the greatest fit, but there was someone he could work with. Please don't take this as a guaranteed negative response for any of you applying to UNC (especially since his department is anthropology) UNC was hit very hard economically. He was told by the department chair that traditionally the Anthro department takes 15 grad students a year (split up among the sub disciplines) He would have made the cut in 2009, but the cut their number of acceptances to 5 - only 1 in archaeology (his sub discipline). I'm hoping things have improved for the school - it's a nice area. On the flip side - that rejection is what sent us here. This program is an amazing fit and we love the neighborhood we found. He loves his department and has been told with his pre existing master's and involvement with the department he shouldn't have any problems. with that said the waiting has been torture...and we're still waiting.
For him it's the idea of having to pack us up and move again because something kept him from getting in. Logic and all signs point to an acceptance, but until you have the letter or email in hand, it's hard to trust the positive feelins. Ya know?
I wish ALL of you amazing luck and hold just a bit for ourselves. Go MSU! BTW - anyone know anything from them yet?
I just wanted to cheer you on for the Anthro dept at UNC. I had some contact there last summer as I fellowed in an unrelated program. The dept grew very fast in the past five years or so and were kind of blind-sided. However, I met some incredible scholars there that are trying to do the best they can by the students. I'll keep hope alive for you guys. Worse case scenario you guys seem happy in the are -- Chapel Hill is the awesomeness -- and it sounds like your DH did all the right things.
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Coya - I think it is fair to say that you are probably not representative of the majority of students. That may be supposition on my part, but I think it true. Nonetheless, for you location is obviously very important, and considering the impact you state that it has on your academic success, it should be.
Everyone has to rank their own issues based on what is important to them, and it is ultimately your life, not mine. Personally, I have yet to find two schools that were so closely matched on what I consider important that the location has really mattered to me - excepting of course financial concerns, which I think are always important. Are the two schools going to provide you comparable preparation for your desired post-PhD career? Then who cares what other criteria you use? The mistake is passing up a strong program for a weaker one if you can avoid it - the long term costs can be quite high.
Just curious about what you base that "fair" assumption on?
Not that I made any claim about being representative of a population. However, just for an example, stats put SAD at half a million people in this country alone. And that was just a specific example of how location affects me. The specificity of its manifestation in my life does not negate the greater applicability of the overall claim that for many students location not only matters but should matter. To trivialize that concern as being petty or immature or ill informed is not always the case. Not that you did that but it the conversation includes some alluding to that belief. I make a case for the importance of the decision not for its universality or exact manifestation.
And, again, what is the point of gaining admission to a great program if you stack the odds against graduating from there? There is strong case for choosing a program where you can successfully complete your degree over a highly ranked program where chances are high that you might fail.
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I'm with a lot of others here on the location question. Unless you are REALLY not a countryside person or a city person, I would put location last. But make sure you're first very informed about the nature of the location before you decide on a school.
I went to undergrad in a "rural area" (well, at least that's what people who grew up in cities and didn't know what REAL rural looks like called it). I'm VERY familiar with the "I hate this place, because you can't walk to a mall/bar" kind of mentality. I have friends who at least claimed to be completely miserable, because my school didn't have a happening club right down the street. These were mostly, however, the same people who didn't even bother to come visit the school before accepting, and who also had lived their entire lives in a city. They weren't expecting it, and the shock of the disappointment made them miserable. Before you make any decision, make sure you are 100% informed about any factor that you personally consider to be a big deal.
So why do I still advocate that you ignore location in your final decisions? Well, because in many cases your preferences can change. Also, in my experience, as long as you know what to expect, you can deal with non-ideal situations. If your dream school is located in the big city and you're one of those people who, like me, does not like big city life, tell yourself this: no school is perfect. I may hate the location of this school, but everything else is great for me. Isn't a PhD worth sacrificing my lungs and getting a little dirty every time you leave the apartment? In reality, for the first 2-3 years, I'm not going to ever have time to leave the library. Does it really matter if this library is located in New York or rural Idaho?
This is just one of those very personal things.
First, I think you may be overestimating library time. There is a great deal of reading and writing, sure. But there are also 24 hours in a day! At some point, if only to take care of your physical health, you will have to leave the library and the school.
And this is about knowing thyself. I am miserable when my surroundings are depressing. Part of my methodology is having an organized desk and comfortable chair. It seems shallow until you realize (well, maybe it seems shallow anyway but I don't care) that for me to escape my physical form and to get really into writing -- yes, it's dramatic but it's as close as I can come to explaining what happens when i'm "there" -- I can't have a chair where my feet don't touch the floor. I'm short so that happens. And when it does my legs go numb after swinging so long so then I'm focusing on how my legs feel and I'm out of my head space. Then when I feel the urge to work and I reach for something I need and its not there then I get sidetracked looking for it.
This is a small example of how location and environment play into my practice. I have been poor. Worrying about the lights staying on or a bill collector calling my home because I'm in an expensive city and the ends are barely waving to each other puts me out of my zone. Because first and foremost I am a survivor so if my well-being is threatened I put everything to the side to manage it. For me that would mean getting a job and keeping all the bills paid. So, being in an affordable city is directly related to my success in graduate school.
I also tend to suffer from seasonal depression. So putting me in a location with relatively short days and dark weather is asking for me to jump from a first story window. Therefore, it is not petty for me to consider the weather of a location.
This is not, as someone said above, about me wanting a nightlife or something. These issues that are trivial for some are vitally important to my success. I am mature enough to know that. I cannot live in a dark, dirty, high-rent area with five people. I simply cannot. I will not get out of bed one morning and the whole damn thing will fall apart.
Getting into an enviable Ivy is not the goal. For me, the goal is completing my PhD. Therefore I will sacrifice for the latter, not the former. No point in getting admitted if you are setting yourself up to not finish.
But, again, that is me being true to who and what I am. For that reason I consider these things. Some people may not have to. Kudos to you but it doesn't make me crazy for considering them.
- rogue and Tall Chai Latte
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And then I think about ....
The VP who decided to make lifesaving technology free to people who could not afford it.
The copywriter who just last week wrote a solicitation so persuasive (and so pro bono) that it raised nearly half a million dollars for Drs Without Borders.
The law professor who does four death penalty cases per year to try to bring justice to our barbaric society.
The TV producer who took "Roots" and turned it into a national dialogue.
The HR VP who insisted on a just and fair response to the economy, and persuaded the CEO to seek concessions from everyone and as a result, the company laid off no one.
I am a little tired of the idea that only those who work with their hands are noble or useful. Noble people come in all packages, as do people who just take up space. I know lazy farmers who let fields lie fallow and collect government subsidies and brilliant, hard working farmers that are stewards of the land. I know brilliant thinkers who influence policy, and those who stay home and play video games. Because I grew up in a large city, I know nothing of agronomy, but I do know about survival in the face of adversity, embracing diversity and making the most of what one has. These, I think, are equally useful.
Useful is not what one learns, but what one does with what one learns. Ideas, as well as actions, are useful.
Wow you know some impressive people. I suppose I do not. However, my point remains that formal education does not equal worth and neither does the inverse. Producing something that makes a positive impact is actually my point, as is that people along the spectrum of education can and do produce. It is NOT the domain of the highly educated.
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Yo, seriously! I thought it was just me!!! I did 15 pounds in, like, 72 hours or something. LOL I just went and reconnected with my kickboxing trainer and doctor TODAY. This is ridiculous. I can only fit one pair of jeans.
After some thinking I realized that for me the lethal equation has been:
Coffee drinks + late nights with subsequent late night eating + drowning fear of rejection in carbs + wine, lots and lots of wine = FAT AZZ.
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People who tease those in other majors for working towards "useless" degrees should just be thankful that we're not doing the same subject as they are, and saturating their job market with more useful people.
My father, who is a doctor, constantly mocks me for studying a completely useless subject. When I point out at at least I won't be miserable for my entire adult life like he's been, he just frowns and walks away.
Very few well-respected jobs are useful these days. All the useful people - farmers, people who work in manufacturing jobs, plumbers, construction workers, electricians, etc. are those who are less respected for having received less education, and for being paid less. The one exception seems to be doctors. People pursuing careers in law or business like to sneer about how little money I'll make, but what they accomplish in their careers will likely be just as "useless" as my accomplishments. In fact, they may be even more useless, because at least someone following a more intellectually stimulating career path can have the satisfaction of, well, intellectual fulfillment.
As a society, it seems many of us, at least those with better educations, work in useless professions, getting paid to sit all day and fill out paperwork. So yeah, what I want to do may not be very practical, but unless someone has a truly useful job, I don't bother listening to the criticism.
I may want to kiss you for this response.
I am reminded of how many "well-educated" people I have known over the years:
The VP that didn't know that canned vegetables were already cooked.
The copywriter that couldn't sew a button on a shirt.
The law professor that could not get a verb and subject to agree with the laws of gravity much less each other.
The tv producer that thought money coming out of an ATM machine was magic.
The HR VP that could not change a flat tire.
All this pretense makes me itch. Useful people make things grow and work.
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Most useful: Statistics.
Which should be blatantly, bloodily, disastrously obvious to everyone who has been through the results search a zillion times to calculate exactly what day the odds are greatest you will hear from a particular program, depending on date or day of the week (adjusting for year) and based on whether the program sends out acceptances and rejections on the same day, or if it accepts in waves, or--
Oh, wait. You said, most useful to society...
LOL
Agreed. Anyone can argue that most fields are useless, or useful. It is pretty much all opinion.
And, basically.
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FYI re: Duke. In response to my "hey! i got a competitive offer so whatchu gonna do" email I got a "you are not on our short list so bite it" response.
So there is a finalist list of the 149 applicants. No word on notification however. Good luck. -
Emory is my only purely Ed program and their results are in. I have a friend at USC (Carolina not Cali) and she's had an informal offer as well.
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My stats are even lower - though slightly -- than those above and I'm moving on along.
Your best bet is to prove you can do the work by doing the work. That means taking every research project and opportunity you can. However, for the schools you have listed it is important to hear the truth: numbers matter. Your app won't even be read if you don't clear the cut-off. So, if its feasible pour yourself into your GRE prep and get it up a bit then try that. However, I would strongly suggest buffering that reality with applications across the spectrum. There have to be solid non-top 10 programs that you would be happy to attend?
Beyond that I suggest networking if you are good at that kind of thing. If not, then DON'T. This is important because I've seen people talk themselves out of consideration.
I got an interview....what about the peripheral activities
in Interviews and Visits
Posted · Edited by coyabean
Yeah, I would ixnay the cocktail dress. Slacks or a skirt with the same business-y feel that you wear during the day is my suggestion. Maybe go with a brighter top or something as a nod to it being cocktail hour. But the entire event is an interview, even the social events. So, I would dress in a way that keeps you in that position.
And jeans on the tour are fine, I think. Just not the super hip ones with holes and rips and sparkly things across the arse. LOL Classic, simple jeans and a top should be fine for that. I would not have worn sneakers. I got some of those aerosole walking type shoes that look like a shoe but feel like a sneaker. But that's just me. Our tour was in the middle of the main visiting day so there was no chance to go to the room and change. And right after the tour we were back in the department office meeting more people. So I didn't want to be in sneakers for that. If the tour is solely with grad students though I'd be more comfortable going straight casual.
ETA: saw thison the Chronicle this morning. His bit on how to dress for an academic interview is a good primer.